CANDLE, a light made of tallow, wax, or spermaceti, the wick of which is usually composed of several threads of cotton.
There are two species of tallow candles, the one dipped, and the other moulded; the first are those in common use; the invention of the second is attributed to Le Brege, of Paris. Good tallow-candles ought to be made with equal parts of sheep and ox-tallow; care being taken to avoid any mixture of hog's lard, which occasions a thick black smoke, attended with a disagreeable smell, and also causes the candles to run.
When the tallow has been weighed and mixed in due proportions, it is cut very small, that it may be more speedily dissolved; for otherwise it would be liable to burn, or become black, if left too long over the fire. As soon as it is completely melted and skimmed, a certain quantity of water, proportionate to that of the tallow, is poured in, for precipitating the impure particles to the bottom of the vessel. This, however, should not be done till after the three first dips; as the water, by penetrating the wicks, would make the candles crackle in burning, and thereby render them useless. To purify the tallow still more, it is strained through a coarse horse-hair sieve into a tub: where, after having remained three hours, it becomes fit for use.
Wax Candles are of various kinds and forms; they are made of cotton or flaxen wieks, slightly twisted, and covered with white or coloured wax. This operation is performed either by the hand or with a ladle. In order to soften the wax, it is first worked repeatedly in a deep narrow cauldron of hot water; then taken out in small pieces, and gradually disposed round the wick, which is fixed on a hook in the wall, beginning with the larger end, and diminishing in proportion as the neck approaches; to prevent the wax from adhering to the hands, they are rubbed with oil of olives, lard, or other unctuous substance. When it is intended to make wax candles with a ladle, the wicks being prepared as above-mentioned, a dozen of them are fixed at equal distances round an iron circle, which is suspended over a tinned copper vessel containing melted wax; a large ladleful of which is poured gently and repeatedly on the tops of ihe wicks, till the candles have acquired a proper size, when they are taken down, kept warm, and smoothed upon a walnut-tree table with a long square instrument of box, which is continually moistened with hot water, to prevent the adhesion of the wax. In other respects, this mode of making wax-candles corresponds with that of manufacturing them by the hand.
From the increasing demand and price of wax, various experiments have been tried, in order to discover proper substitutes, which might possess similar solidity. We are informed by a foreign journal, that this desirable object has been satisfactorily attained, by melting down an equal quantity of tallow and resin. In order to ascertain the truth of this assertion, we were induced to repeat the experiment, but without success: for, though the two substances incorporated, they had not a sufficient degree of cohesion; and, when moulded into a proper form, the tallow burned, but the resin dissolved, and separated from it.
In September, 1799, Mr. William Bolts, of London, obtained a patent for new modes of improving the form, quality, and use of candles, and other lights, made of tallow, wax, spermaceti, &c. This invention the patentee founds on four principles: 1. On the fabrication of the body of such lights, prior to, and independently of, the wicks which may be subsequently applied to them. 2. On the application of moveable wicks, which may be applied to, or extracted from the candles, or lights, any time after they have been made. 3. On the using of fixed, or ordinary wicks, for those lights or candles, at any period subsequent to the making of either; and 4. On placing the inflammable substance, while in fusion, in a close vessel, and submitting it there to the action of a vacuum, and of a pressure superior to that of the atmosphere. This was effected with a view to extract, by the vacuum, whatever elastic fluid may remain in it, under the ordinary pressure; and also to increase the solidity and whiteness of the substance, by the superior weight applied to it, when cooling.
From the very great utility of candles, they early became the object of adulteration: hence it is provided by various acts of parliament, that all adulterated candles shall be forfeited; and if any tallow-chandlers, or melters, make use of melting-houses without giving due notice to the excise-officers, they shall be subject to a penalty of 100l.; or, if they fail in informing those persons of their making candles, and thus prevent them from ascertaining the duties, 50l.; and if any person is convicted of making candles privately, they are forfeited, together with the utensils, and 100l. by. the 5 Geo. III. c. 43. Those candles, however, for which the duty has been paid, may be exported, and the duty allowed; but, by the statutes of 8 Ann, c. 9, and 23 Geo. II. c. 21, no drawback is allowed on the exportation of foreign candles.
Although candles are preferable to lamps, as their light is less injurious both to the eyes and lungs, and as they do not produce so great a volume of smoke, yet a clean chamber-lamp, which emits as little smoke and smell as possible, is far superior even to wax-candles; for, 1. As all candles burn downwards, the eye necessarily becomes more fatigued, and strained during the later hours of candle-light; 2. Because they yield an irregular light, which occasions the additional trouble of snuffing them; and lastly, because, if the air be agitated ever so little, or if the candles are made of bad materials, they injure the eye by their flaring light.